Zipper fly closure for garments



Filed Aug. 10, 1953 '7 FIG. 2

lllllllll llllll lll )llllllllllllllu FIG. 5

INVENTOR OOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO l! Ill United States Patent The presentinvention relates to zipper fly closures of garments and particularly ithas to do with mens trousers and ladies slacks and skirts. The object ofthe invention is to provide an improved zipper fly closure wherei by theexposure of the zipper elements when the garment is worn issubstantially eliminated while superfluity of thickness at the flyclosure region is dispensed with.

The invention will be clearly understood when the following descriptionis read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates in part the upper portion of a pair of trouserscomprising the zipper fly closure showing the underside of theoverlapping fly member embodying the features of my invention; theoverlapped fly member is shown in part; (some of the zipper elements ofthe respective zipper tapes are not shown); the rows of stitches areshown in dotted lines; 7

Figure 2 illustrates the overlapping flymember before the zipper tape isattached thereto;

Figure 3 illustrates a sectional view on line 33 of Figure 2, onenlarged scale;

Figure 4 shows the fly member structure shown in Figure 2, with thezipper tape attached to the fly member.

The ordinary zipper fly closure of trousers comprises an overlapping flymember and a complementary overlapped fly member and through the mediumof a slide device the respective members unit or separate at will.Zipper elements are mounted on the respective edges of the zipper tapes.One of the zipper tapes is attached to the overlapping zipper fly memberby a longitudinal line of stitching; the zipper tape adds some thicknessto the longitudinal portion of the overlapping zipper fly member bybeing covered by the zipper tape; the area of the fly member adjacentthe front of the zipper is comparatively thinner in texture than thelongitudinal portion of the fly member where'the line of stitchingextends for the attachment of the zipper tape thereto;

the tendency is that front portion of the overlapping fly member iseasily bendable outwardly with respect to the garment and theconsequence follows that the shiny zipper elements are exposed when thecomplementary zipper elements are united when the garment is worn.

To overcome the exposure of the zipper elements would require someresistance to prevent the outward bending of the overlapping fly member.It has been proposed to insert stiffening material between theoverlapping fly member and the adjacent garment material; suchstifiening material soon loses its rigidity through washing or thestiflening substance dissipates through drycleaning chemicals; toprovide a lining material that comprises resisting quality for thepurpose stated would call for a lining that comprises a comparativelythick material with the consequence that the fore part of the flyclosure would become objectionably conspicuous and depart from theneatness that a trouser fly closure requires.

Referring in detail to the drawings, numeral 10 represents the upperportion of a pair of trousers having a zipper fly closure; 11 representsthe overlapping fly member; 12 represents the overlapped member of thefly structure; 13 represents a row of transversely extending stitches ingrouped relation; a plurality of such rows in suitably spaced relationextending longitudinally along the length of the overlapping fly member;14 represents a zipper tape having zipper elements 15 mounted on theouter edge thereof; 16 represents a line of stitching attaching thezipper tape 14 to the overlapping fly member 11; 17 represents theunderply of fly member 11; '18 represents the fore part of thetrousersupper portion adjacent the fly member 11; 19 represents the. underply ofsaid fore part; 20 and 21 represent the folded edge of the fly member 11and the fore part 18, respectively; stitches 22 securing both edgestogether. It will be seen that the transversely extending stitches passthrough the outer material of the overlapping fly member and also theunderply thereof, thus similar rows of stitches as 13A.

are present at the underside of the fly member; thus in a way there arefour thicknesses thereat to produce rigidity at the region of theoverlapping fly member to resist the tendency of the overlapping flymember and the material of the adjacent fore part to flex outwardly andexpose the zipper elements. The plurality of the rows of stitches 13 maycomprise units of double rows in adjacent relation and suitable spacingsbetween the respective units.

Sewing machines are available that will produce the grouped stitches ofthe transverse rows, or attachments may be employed with theconventional sewing machine to produce such stitches; in either, thework may be produced substantially by automatic action at a low cost. Itwill be seen that the individual stitches of the respective rows extendlongitudinally with respect to the longitude of the overlapping flymember.

While in the foregoing specification and the accompanying drawing therehas been disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, itwill be understood that changes may be made from the precise'disclosurewithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof. It is thereforedesired that what is claimed be given broad interpretation and belimited only by the prior art pertaining thereto.

I claim:

A garment fly closure comprising an overlapping fly member; a zippertape having a row of zipper elements secured at the outer edge thereof;said tapebeing attached to said fly member by a line of stitchingextending longitudinally along the inner side of said row or" zipperelements; said fly member and the adjacent fore part of the garment eachhaving a folded outer edge; said fly member comprising a ply at theunderside thereof in contiguous relation with an underply extendinginwardly from said folded outer edge of said fore part of the garment;the folded outer edge of said fly member being secured to said fore partadjacent the folded outer edge thereof; a plurality of transverselyextending rows comprising grouped stitches across the width of saidflymember; said rows being suitably spaced in relation to one another; theindividual stitches of the respective rows being disposed substantiallylongitudinally with respect to the length of said fly member; saidtransversely extending rows of the stitches providing rigidity to saidfly member substantially over the area extending from the line ofattachment of the zipper tape to said overlapping fly member to a pointsuitably adjacent to the folded outer edge of said overlapping flymember; the arrangement being such that exposure of the zipper elementswith respect to the overlapping fly member is substantially obviated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

